✽ 70-80% of attacks are by by people we know!(usually under the misguided impression that women/girls are open to this).

✽ Think about what you can access to use as a weapon… Weapons that we normally carry (or a fork, stick, hairspray, keys, pen or pencil, rock)

✽ You have permission to ACT ACT ACT and fight or hurt another human being when necessary. Or hurt someone’s feelings! Or lie to someone, not answer their questions, even gracefully leave a conversation that gets uncomfortable.

✽ SELF Defense starts with you! Learn some techniques from a reliable instructor and PRACTICE them!

✽ Learn how to take care of yourself and build up your confidence.

✽ All abuse is about control or power. The jerk/creep or predators get a jolt of jollies from the fear or pain of another.

✽ Sometimes abusive behavior is unconscious, if there’s a need in them that they don’t understand. They usually go after someone they view as weaker, so they can dominate them. It can happen with strangers, or in a relationship.

✽ If you set a boundary and someone crosses it, THEY ARE GIVING YOU THE MESSAGE that what THEY want matters more to them than you.

✽ Practice with a reliable defense instructor HOW to safely set a boundary.

✽ Protect your space, you have every right to say who gets in and when.

✽ Make friends with adrenaline! It will come up to say “hi” whenever you get scared, nervous, and fearful and instead of being used by it…learn that it’s there to protect you.

✽ Vulnerable people are girls under 18 or older women who “let their guard down”.